Flight
by Laguna's twin sister
Summary: FFIV. The laws of gravity are definite, even Kain Highwind knows that. But would loving Rosa be worth it even when he knows that he is bound to fall?


Disclaimers: I don't own FFIV. Oh….how I wish I did. sigh

Author's Note: Please note that this occurred during the supposed stage when Kain and Rosa were "dating". Meaning, it's probably around 2-5 years before the game.

Flight

The young dragoon ran like he never had before. The people of Baron were hustling and bustling about and if he didn't know any better, he would think that they were as agitated as he was. He almost ran into a Chocobo and he had to shout a quick apology to its passenger for startling the animal.

He knew he was acting a bit crudely but he couldn't help himself. He was late, very late, and that was one of the two reasons why he was running like crazy - the other one being Rosa was waiting for him.

Today was a special day… a rare day because he was sure to meet the golden haired muse for she had in fact called for him. They usually met in the castle, near the training grounds, or her house whenever he visited her. But today, she left him a note, asking him to meet her near the grove in the near outskirts of the town.

As he neared the entry way, he suddenly hesitated, taking smaller steps as he caught his breath. He hadn't bothered to remove his training armor or change into cleaner clothes… or get Rosa some flowers… And as one split second passed, he forgot all about the things he could've done when he finally saw her there, seated in a small picnic blanket, waiting for him.

Waiting just for him

He couldn't hold back a smile.

His sturdy boots made a rustling sound as he moved across the grassy field and Rosa's keen ears quickly heard him approaching. She looked up to see him, smiled and moved over a bit to give him some space in the blanket to sit on.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting! I went here as fast as I could!"

Rosa heard the strain in his voice though it was muffled by the helmet that he wore, "I wasn't waiting that long, it's perfectly all right!"

"That… that's good to hear," the dragoon said as he sighed in relief.

They were both quiet for a while and Kain couldn't resist looking at the girl beside him. Rosa seemed to be gazing at something near the sky and he thought that she never looked prettier. She had a smile dancing in her lips yet… he noticed her eyes… her eyes had a tint of loneliness in them…

Just when he was about to ask her what was wrong, she finally spoke, "So… How's… how's Cecil?"

Cecil… he wasn't too surprised when she started asking about him. After all he knew how much… how much she… how much she cared about him.

The three of them grew up together and had been the best of friends. It had been like that ever since. That was until Cecil became too focused on his training and when Rosa started asking… started feeling…

"He aced the melee combat test he had this morning. He came through unscratched," he grinned hoping to lighten up the mood, "I think the only thing that friend of ours can fail is… failing!"

He was greatly rewarded when he saw Rosa grin as well yet he couldn't keep himself from feeling a somehow great yet numb pain in his chest. Everything had been fine until…he started feeling …something as well.

"Rosa…?"

"Oh... sorry," she said as she turned away quickly to get the picnic basket, "that's wonderful. It's good to know that he's doing well and that he's happy."

Kain quickly mumbled his thanks when Rosa handed him a neatly wrapped sandwich. He stared at it for a while and felt the pain in his chest spread to the pit of his stomach.

"Hey, it's not poisoned you know!" Rosa exclaimed as he saw his still form, "It's turkey, your favorite. I made it just for you!"

She waited for him… and wrapped the sandwich neatly for him… yet somehow he did not feel as happy as he was earlier. Lately, they have spent times together like this more often than before. It wasn't always like this but he knew they were somehow beginning to get closer …yet…

"Is it good?" Rosa asked as she saw Kain taking a bite off the sandwich she had prepared.

He gulped down his favorite dish – made bland by the ache in his heart and replied, "Yes. Your cooking really is the best."

"Oh really? I don't believe you!" the girl playfully reached out to remove the dragoon's helmet. He struggled playfully as well until he finally let her remove the thing. "I know that your eyes can never lie."

"And that's why my instructors tell me to always keep it on," he mumbled as he felt the wind blowing on his golden locks, its shade deeper than Rosa's.

"Oh?" Rosa asked, tilting her head a little, "I thought they were only for protection."

"Well… they said that the best way to win is to have a poker face. Apparently, that is my weak spot."

Rosa nodded in agreement. She was well aware of that fact. Kain may seem to be aloof or too quiet for his own good, but it is easy to see the joy… or the pain in his eyes. Yet between the two emotions, Kain seemed to display the latter more often – that was unless he was hiding behind his mask.

He had always been there for her, and she was thankful for that. There were times when she felt like she needed his comfort, and there were times when she felt that he needed hers as well. There were times when she wished that Cecil was more like him.

There were times when he wished that he was more like Cecil.

"So what else have you been learning? Surely you've been excelling at something else," Rosa said, trying to forget her most recent thought. Kain was Kain and Cecil was Cecil. She liked them the way they were.

"Well…" the dragoon started timidly, his head slightly bent down, "My instructor said that my jump was the highest he had seen… It's not that great but well…" Not that great as what Cecil can do, not great enough to please the king, not great enough to get Rosa's attention…

"Really? Come on show me! Show me!" she urged him childishly.

"Well…" he reluctantly stood up and moved to the side. He bent his knees a little and timed his jump with his breath. It was harder to do without a spear but he did it nonetheless. In a matter of seconds, the leaves rustled down below him as he found himself reaching the trees' full height. His momentary flight somehow calmed him and made him feel that everything was all right. He saw the sun's rays envelop him in a warm embrace and the wind seemed to call him, cherishing him like he was its lover. The world may have taken everything for him but he still had ... he had the sky.

He must admit that he had always been envious of Cecil for the way he seemed to charm everyone in his path without even trying. It was not his friend's fault, he knew, for he was drawn to him as well. Cecil was a good friend and he knew that he would be there for him when need be. It was just that his constant loneliness made him feel that he was getting more and more deprived …of attention, of care…of love…he was not quite sure. Yet he always thought that he would always have a bond with the sky – something not even Cecil can take away from him.

He made a very small crater with his feet as he landed and he heard Rosa clapping in delight. "That was great Kain! I've never seen anything like it!" her laugh…her happiness. It made him have that feeling again. The way he made Rosa forget about Cecil, even just a while, made his heart swell with joy.

"Here, I got this for you," he timidly gave her the flower he saw atop a tree. Rosa gave him a quick embrace and he felt his cheeks warm up suddenly. "Glad you liked it…"

She touched the petals carefully and inhaled its scent. "Wow Kain… I wish I can jump like that," she giggled, thinking it to be an absurd thought, "I wonder how the sky looks like from up there."

"It's very beautiful. I can gaze on it all day," Kain replied as he looked at her thoughtfully, "Hey, if you would like, I can share her with you."

"Who?"

"The sky!"

Rosa looked at him bewilderedly for a while, "How?"

"Let's jump together," Kain said as he walked closer to her and offered her his hand.

Rosa looked tentatively at him, "Are you sure?"

"You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

He was right, she knew that he could do anything but hurt her. Rosa placed her arms over Kain's shoulder as he in turn placed his arm around her waist. Anyone would've thought that they were about to dance.

"Ok, tell me when you're ready," he whispered as he breathed in the scent of her hair. This was the closest he had been to Rosa and he seriously prayed that she didn't hear his heart beating wildly in his chest… or see his flushed face. Thankfully she was looking down on his knees, trying to bend her own the way he did.

"Are you sure it would be ok?" after she took a deep breath she finally said yes.

In a matter of seconds, Rosa felt getting lifted off the ground. Feeling a bit panicked, she impulsively tightened her hold in Kain's neck and she barely heard his laughter. She knew that she was supposed to feel that they were falling but she realized that they were not. They were still actually "flying" up the sky in a slower yet much stable pace.

"You can open your eyes now," Kain whispered to Rosa's ear and felt happiness like he never did before when he saw her astonishment.

"Kain…it's…it's… It's so beautiful!" Somehow, she felt that her view had been better than that of what she saw in the castle's roof deck. She saw the multitude of trees around them and the birds flying across the sky… and the sun… it was setting and the rays glowed brightly, with colors dancing in the meadow.

"This Rosa…is my sky…" he said solemnly as he took in the sight of her eyes sparkling in delight and tucking it inside his heart.

"Your sky…?"

"Yes… and right now, she knows you own her as well," he trailed off as he realized that they had already reached their peak and were about to fall down.

Rosa became quiet as she felt the wind in her feet as she realized that they were on their way back to the ground. Kain thought that the ordeal may have frightened her yet she was absorbed in her thoughts to even care. The sky…Kain gave her something more when he offered to jump with her. He shared with her something dear, something intimate…

"Rosa?" Kain nudged the girl gently as she remained close to him after they have hit the ground, "Rosa, are you all right?"

"Kain…" she looked up to see his kind blue eyes staring back at her worry etched in them. She reached up to brush off the small creases in his forehead and smiled when he showed her his confused boyish look.

"Thank you Kain. The sky… it was wonderful," Kain's face brightened up in an instant, and Rosa knew it was the first time she saw him this happy.

"It's nothing…" he said shyly despite knowing that he would do anything, absolutely anything for Rosa. He was glad that the sky, the same sky that welcomed him with open arms to take away his pain, his sadness and regrets would be the same sky that would give happiness to his love.

"But Kain, you must admit that it's not everyday that a girl like me can soar hundreds of feet above the sky," she exclaimed, her energy still a bit high from the rush she had felt.

"I would …" take you again if I could, he wanted to say, "Say that yes, you're right," he replied instead.

"Then I guess I would have to give you more sandwiches to show my gratitude," Rosa said giddily as she half-skipped back to their picnic blanket.

He suddenly felt the warmth when it was gone, realizing too late that he had been comfortable with its presence by his side… it was the warmth Rosa gave him… Good things weren't always meant to last, he thought to himself as he decided that another batch of Rosa's sandwiches wouldn't be a bad compensation. The sandwiches she made… just for him… yes, it wouldn't be so bad…

"Here you go…" she failed to notice the dreamy grin in Kain's face when she saw him limping slightly. "Kain..?"

Her voice brought him back to his senses so abruptly that he stumbled slightly. He knew his mind was at fault for his carelessness yet Rosa knew better.

"Kain, what happened to your feet? Do they hurt?" Rosa asked as she pushed down the young dragoon's shoulders slightly, forcing him to sit back down in the blanket.

"It's fine, it's fine. My shoes may just be a bit tight, that's all," his euphoria and perhaps, experience kept him from feeling the pain. Supporting himself while making a high jump was already hard enough to begin with; the added weight of taking Rosa with him doubled the impact of his fall. But it did not matter; he would do absolutely anything to make Rosa smile again. Yet the woman he loved was not smiling now.

"Let me see it!" the girl insisted and he didn't have any other choice but to comply. Rosa had to gasp when she saw his unbound feet for his ankles were swollen with several bruises also present. "Kain, maybe you should rest for a while. No more jumping… or even walking for today."

He saw Rosa's concern for him that he momentarily forgot about his shyness and slight humiliation for letting her see his vulnerability. Her eyes were full of concentration as she chanted a healing spell.

"Rosa… it's all right, you don't have to…" her glare stopped him from saying anything further. She just continued to chant and within moments, he felt warmth, not only on his feet but his whole body.

She was healing him… What he was actually feeling was her energy, flowing from her hands to his own body. The feeling was so surreal; he almost felt tears in his eyes. Rosa cared. Rosa cared for him.

And why wouldn't she? Rosa felt a pang of guilt in her chest that she had trouble concentrating on what she was doing. Kain was always there to comfort her, to make her feel better whenever she felt that Cecil was getting farther and farther away from her grasp. It was as if she had a better chance at reaching the sky than his own hands.

"Thank you Rosa… I feel much better…" Kain said softly, feeling a little light headed after the whole healing experience. He timidly looked at the girl beside him as he felt her hands still holding on to his feet like she had no thoughts of letting go… "Rosa…?"

She berated herself for getting upset over such a trivial thing yet she couldn't seem to stop her tears. She looked up to meet Kain's gaze and saw him become paler than he already was. Kain, sweet Kain. He had a tendency to blame everything on himself. "It's all right Kain; it's not your fault… I'm just…well"

"…"

He had no words yet Rosa saw it in his eyes – his lonely eyes. It was as if he wanted to take her pain and make it his own. His heavy yet gentle arms went around her suddenly, desperately giving her the comfort he was not sure he was capable of giving.

And the moment he drew her closer, she could not help but sob in his chest.

"Kain… here I was thinking… wishing that I was healing Cecil … I just want to be with him but he keeps on hiding… I feel his pain but… I can't seem to do anything…"

He knew perfectly well how much she loved his best friend. And somehow, at the back of his head, he knew Cecil loved her as well. But the way he pained her unconsciously made him want to stab his spear to his gut to bring him to his senses. Cecil was too absorbed in his duties… and was too afraid to take the risk…too afraid to risk Rosa.

Yet what about him? Wasn't he afraid himself? Afraid to tell Rosa his true feelings, afraid of the inevitable rejection. Why can't he just tell her that he wished she would want to take away his pain as well?

I may be too weak, Rosa thought. I may not be fit enough to be by his side.

I may be too weak, Kain thought, I may not be fit enough to hold her tight.

Kain was quiet as he held her gently. And somehow she felt his warmth. His calloused hands went up to wipe her tears away and like magic, she felt like smiling again. Kain, sweet Kain. She would never know how it would be if he weren't there.

"Kain…?" She managed to smile at him and her heart swelled when she saw him smiling back. She placed her arms around his neck and embraced him for as long as she could. "Thank you Kain…" He would never know how indebted she felt to him. She cherished their friendship more than anything. The afternoons they spent together, the laughter, the bickering… it made her forget about her seemingly unrequited love.

The young dragoon stiffened as he felt the numb pain in his chest once more. "Anything… for you Rosa…" he whispered solemnly. He knew he was fighting a lost cause. Yet to make Rosa happy… to make her smile seemed to be a good cause as it was.

And then it happened. A kiss… he felt her sweet kiss on his cheek.

A kiss… Rosa's kiss. Just for him.

"I know it isn't much… compared to your jump… to the way you shared to me your sky today… for everything you have done for me…"

"…" In his silence he thought how she would never know how her kiss brought him far beyond the sky. For once he reached heaven.

Yet somehow he knew he must go back to the ground.

"Come on, it's getting darker. I'll bring you home."

She nodded and quickly packed up her things. Within moments, she was back to his side.

He knew he can never be Cecil. He knew he can never have her. He knew these moments she shared with him weren't meant to last.

Yet as she held his hand as they walked slowly back to town… as she placed her hands in his… his hand... He couldn't have been happier.


End file.
